Arooj Zulfiqar

Pakistan should adopt the latest Chinese hybrid rice varieties to increase rice production, said an official from the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of Punjab, who requested anonymity. "Pakistani rice is in great demand in the world and is one of the most important sources of foreign exchange earnings," he said. In fact, rice is the second most significant crop after wheat in Pakistan; however, its output is not at its best.

According to the WealthPK research, the country has experienced a tremendous amount of heat for the last few years, with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees centigrade in some regions during the Kharif season, severely affecting the yield and quality of crops. In particular, the rice crop has been under severe stress due to the drop in its yield by one-third, especially in Sindh province, which has necessitated the development of new varieties able to cope with excessive heat and drought.

The official said, "as a result of years of hard work and research, we have succeeded in developing a hybrid rice variety that is able to tolerate heat above 50 degrees celsius and produce over 120 maunds of rice per acre yield." The new variety, developed jointly by Chinese and Pakistani researchers in 2018, has given the promised results after harvest, the official said. It increases yield by 12.5% compared to the previous variety, he added.

He said, "the excellent quality, multiple resistance to diseases and insects, high-temperature tolerance, and high nitrogen use efficiency of Honglian Type Hybrid Rice make it suitable for cultivation in countries with high temperatures, frequent plant diseases, and insect pests, as well as countries producing crude grains along the Belt and Road route, such as Pakistan."

The official said Pakistan was hit by unprecedented floods during this year’s summer and has suffered huge losses as a result. It is of great importance to develop high-yield hybrid rice in order to resume grain production and economic growth after the flood disaster, he added.

As a result of global warming, heat-tolerant Honglian hybrid rice varieties are right now more suitable for Pakistan's local climate. The official said, "this variety of rice has a short stalk that can withstand high winds while also remaining green until harvesting, making it suitable fodder for livestock."

Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema recently told an international forum - Hybrid Rice Aid for Foreign Countries and World Food Security - that the joint research work of Wuhan University and the University of Punjab on extremely heat-resistant hybrid rice will promote the research and development of high-yield hybrid rice in Pakistan and improve food security in the country.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk